Digital Printing vs Lithographic Printing

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Jack

Do you find yourself getting lost in a maze of printing terms that you can’t quite seem to get your head around? Get the low-down on the two of the most widely used printing terms, what they mean and—most importantly—what they can do for you.

Lithography

Don’t let the fancy-schmancy name fool you, lithographic printing came from very humble 18th century beginnings. Originally achieved using a rudimentary system of wetting/inking limestone to get a printed relief, lithography (or litho, for short) now uses flexible plates attached to rollers. A tad more efficient, we think you’ll agree.

Lithography is great for those bigger jobs because once the plates have been created, making prints is incredibly cheap and easy. This also means that if you have a long-run print job, like packaging or books, you can enjoy more cost effective printing.

Digital

A mere youngster compared to its pal, lithography, digital printing burst onto the scene in the early 90s. Every bit as futuristic as it sounds, digital printing is achieved by transforming images into a matrix of dots (pixels, to you and me) which are used to control the distribution of ink to create the printed image.

Now that you know all about its short, yet complex history, what can digital printing offer you? Aside from gorgeously green credentials, you’ll be able to get small, short print runs easily and at lower prices. If you only need one of something, or like to change up your print regularly, the short affordable runs you can get with digital are ideal.

Can’t decide which you’d rather back? Not to worry! Here at Printed.com, you can enjoy both digital and lithographic printing in one place, so no matter the size or duration of the job, you’re covered!

About the author

Jack knows everything there is to know about print. With nearly 20 years’ experience, he's an expert in everything from print floor processes to product specifications. When he’s not flexing his printing knowledge you’ll find him looking after his cat, Turnip. No really. That’s her actual name.